The Race
| Next Race Date | To be Confirmed |
|---|---|
| Course type | Point-to-point: Portobello to Dunedin, 11 km apart in a straight line |
| Registration | Open entry, staged prices |
| Ballot opens | No ballot |
| Start | Portobello Recreation Reserve, Otago Peninsula, 07:00 |
| Finish | Outside Emerson's Brewery, Anzac Avenue, Dunedin |
| Total finishers | To be Confirmed |
| Avg race-day temp | 4 to 13°C (September) |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours 30 minutes: official timing ends at 13:30 |
| Free race-day transport | A bus to the start leaves the Sargood Centre; cost to be confirmed |
| Course certification | To be Confirmed |
History
The Dunedin Marathon began in 1979, set up by the Otago branch of the New Zealand Federation of Sports Medicine under James Fraser. From 1984 the city's harrier clubs took over, and the race is now organised by the Caversham Harrier and Athletic Club, with Emerson's, the Dunedin brewery, as title sponsor.
The 2026 edition was the 46th. Over the years the course has settled on Otago Harbour and the Otago Peninsula, the long, hilly arm of land that shelters the harbour from the Pacific. The marathon now starts at Portobello, runs out towards the harbour mouth and back, then follows the harbour shore into the city. The finish is outside the brewery's taproom on Anzac Avenue, which has a certain logic.
The race stays regional in scale. In 2026 Dwight Grieve won the men's race in 2:43:06 and Odette Jennings the women's in 2:56:44. No current course records are published.
The course
The Dunedin Marathon is point-to-point. It starts at Portobello Recreation Reserve on the Otago Peninsula and finishes outside Emerson's Brewery on Anzac Avenue in Dunedin, 11 km away in a straight line and much further by the road the course takes.
The first half is an out-and-back up the peninsula. The route leaves Portobello along Harington Point Road, makes a small loop through Harwood between about 3 and 7 km, and runs on through Otakou to a turnaround at 12.8 km, beside Penguin Place and Te Rauone Reserve near the mouth of the harbour. It returns the same way and passes Portobello at about 21.7 km.
The second half follows the harbour shore towards the city on Portobello Road and the Otago Harbour Trail, passes Highcliff and Challis between about 31 and 36 km, and rounds the head of the harbour at Musselburgh between 37 and 39 km. Birch Street and Fryatt Street lead to Anzac Avenue and the finish.
Most of the course runs beside the water. The organiser publishes no gradient or total climb, and no elevation chart is drawn because the available elevation data comes from a terrain model and is unreliable along the cliff-foot road.
Kilometre by kilometre
Km 0 to 7: Portobello and Harwood. The marathon starts at 07:00 at Portobello Recreation Reserve after an early bus from the city. The first kilometres head north-east on Harington Point Road, with the harbour alongside, then loop through Harwood. The road is narrow and shared with other runners on the out-and-back, so settle in.
Km 7 to 13: out towards the heads. The course continues through Otakou towards the tip of the peninsula, the most remote part of the route, with little crowd support and wide views across the harbour mouth. The turnaround comes at 12.8 km, beside Penguin Place and Te Rauone Reserve.
Km 13 to 21: back to Portobello. The same road in reverse. Runners meet the rest of the field coming the other way, and the drink stations are passed a second time. Portobello comes around at about 21.7 km.
Km 22 to 36: the harbour shore. The long stretch along the harbour towards the city on Portobello Road and the Otago Harbour Trail, narrow and relentless, with the city ahead for much of it. Wind is the main variable, and in a south-westerly it can be a headwind for many kilometres. Find a group.
Km 36 to 42.2: into the city. The course reaches the head of the harbour at Musselburgh between 37 and 39 km, turns onto Birch Street at about 40 km and runs through the streets of central Dunedin to Anzac Avenue. The crowds gather in the last 100 m outside Emerson's Brewery.
Official timing closes at 13:30. No blue line is published.
From Portobello through Harwood and Otakou to the turnaround near Penguin Place. Quiet, so keep it easy.
The same road home past the rest of the field, to halfway near the start.
Fifteen exposed kilometres along the water towards the city. Find shelter in a group if the wind is up.
Round the head of the harbour at Musselburgh and through the city streets to Emerson's Brewery.
Course Map
A point-to-point course: out along the Otago Peninsula to a turnaround near Penguin Place and back through Portobello, then along the harbour shore and round its head into the city. Tap a marker for the start, the turnaround, the harbour head, the finish and the pack-collection venue, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course.
No elevation chart is drawn for this course. The elevation data comes from a terrain model and shows false spikes of 60 to 100 m where the road runs at the foot of cliffs, and satellite terrain data along the shoreline reads the water. The line is the 2025 and 2026 course.
Pacers
None announced. The organiser's pages do not mention pacers or pace groups, so plan to run your own pace or find a group early.
Mid-September is early spring in Dunedin, and it can feel like winter. Mornings are often in low single figures and the day may only reach the low teens. Rain, wind and bright sun can all arrive in the same morning.
Runners catch the bus to Portobello before 06:00 and wait there for an hour, so dress warmly for that: a hat, gloves and an old top. Pack warmer clothes for after the finish in the gear bag, which is taken to Emerson's Brewery.
On the course, most runners wear shorts with a long-sleeved top, or a T-shirt with arm warmers. The harbour road is exposed, and a cold wind off the water can make the second half feel much colder than the thermometer says, so a light windproof layer that folds into a pocket is worth considering. New Zealand's UV is strong from spring, so wear sunscreen on a clear day.
Entry
Entry is open, with no ballot and no qualifying time. The 2026 prices were NZ$110, about £47, early bird, NZ$120, about £51, standard and NZ$150, about £64, late. Online entries closed a few days before the race, with late entries available at race-pack pickup for an extra fee. Runners must be 18 or older.
Entries are not refundable if you cannot attend. They can be transferred to another person or another event through the entry system, and a 75 per cent refund is available on request if the race is cancelled. Every finisher receives a medal. There is no good-for-age route or charity allocation.
Fast runner standards
There is no good-for-age route and no qualifying standard.
Emerson's Dunedin Marathon →Race Weekend
Race-pack collection
Race packs are collected from Otago Polytechnic's Sargood Centre, 40 Logan Park Drive, beside Forsyth Barr Stadium, north of the city centre. In 2026 it opened on Friday from 16:30 to 19:00, on Saturday from 09:00 to 17:00 and on race morning from 05:30. Bring the confirmation email with its QR code.
Marathon runners should collect on Friday or Saturday. The start bus also leaves from the Sargood Centre before 06:00, so collecting on race morning leaves very little time.
Getting to the start
The marathon starts at 07:00 at Portobello Recreation Reserve, about 20 km from the city by road along the peninsula. The organiser runs a bus to the start, leaving the Sargood Centre on Logan Park Drive between 05:45 and 06:00. Be there by 05:40. The half marathon starts at 08:30, the 10 km at 09:20 and the 5 km at 10:00, all from the Caledonian Ground area at Logan Park.
Bag drop. Hand in a gear bag before boarding or at the start. It is taken to Emerson's Brewery for collection after the finish, and the organiser accepts no responsibility for lost items.
Driving. Driving to Portobello is possible but not recommended: the peninsula road is closed for the race and there is no way back to the car until the course reopens.
Headphones. The 2026 event guide asked runners not to use headphones, because parts of the course share roads with traffic and marshals need to be heard. The FAQ calls them discouraged and not prohibited, and the guide takes precedence.
The finish. The finish outside Emerson's Brewery has medical support, toilets and a hospitality area with a stage, and prizegiving is at 14:00. Central hotels are a 10 to 20 minute walk.
Nutrition on course
Every drink station has water and GU electrolyte in Strawberry Lemonade flavour, and those on the out-and-back are passed twice. The organiser has not published station positions for the next edition, so treat any list as provisional until the map is out.
Gels were not listed, so carry your own. On a cold morning set a reminder to drink, because thirst is easy to miss.
Spectating
The Dunedin Marathon is hard to follow along the course. The start is on the peninsula, the peninsula road is closed, and no buses run on the course while the race is on. The finish outside Emerson's Brewery, with crowds in the last 100 m, is the reliable place to watch.
With a car and an early start a supporter could see the start at Portobello and drive back to the city, but road closures on the peninsula make that a risky plan, so check the closure times first.
- Emerson's Brewery, Anzac Avenue, from late morning
- The hospitality area and stage are at the finish, and prizegiving is at 14:00
- Walk or take a taxi from the city to Musselburgh at the head of the harbour for about km 37 to 39
- Walk back to Emerson's Brewery for the finish
- Enter the half marathon, 10 km or 5 km, which start later from Logan Park, and be at the finish when the marathon runner arrives
Post-race food
The finish is outside Emerson's Brewery on Anzac Avenue, whose taproom and restaurant are the obvious first stop, and the event's hospitality area is right there. A pint of Emerson's at the finish is a local tradition.
For more choice, the Octagon and George Street in the city centre, about 1.1 km and 15 minutes' walk away, have cafés and restaurants. Book for a group on race Sunday.
Where to Stay
Stay near the finish in the city, not near the start. The marathon starts at Portobello, but the organiser runs a bus from the Sargood Centre on Logan Park Drive, and the finish at Emerson's Brewery on Anzac Avenue is close to both the centre and Logan Park. A central or north-central hotel covers race-pack collection, the bus and the walk back.
Central Dunedin and the Octagon
The city centre around the Octagon has most of the hotels and restaurants, about 1.1 km and 15 minutes' walk from Emerson's and about 2 km from the Sargood Centre. It is the best all-round base.
North Dunedin and the University
North Dunedin, around the University of Otago and Logan Park, is closest to the bus and pack collection, with motels on George Street. Student bars can be loud on Saturday night.
Warehouse Precinct
The Warehouse Precinct, south of the Octagon, has converted Victorian warehouses, cafés and a few hotels, about 1.5 km from the finish.
St Clair
St Clair, the beach suburb south of the city, has hotels on the Esplanade facing the surf, about 5 km from the finish. It is a lovely place for the days after the race, but a drive from the bus and the finish.
Portobello
Portobello, at the start, has a few guest houses. It makes race morning easy but leaves you on the wrong side of a closed road after the finish.
Booking advice is in the timeline below.
Recommended hotels
A boutique hotel in a Victorian building near the Octagon. Walk to the finish and take a taxi to the bus.
In the former chief post office building, close to the railway station and a walk from the finish.
Apartment-style rooms with kitchens, useful for a 05:00 breakfast before the bus.
A lower-cost central option, the closest of the four to the Sargood Centre bus.
Booking timeline
There is no ballot, so book when the date is announced and you enter. Dunedin is a university city, and September weekends can coincide with university events and rugby at Forsyth Barr Stadium, next to the pack collection. Check the calendar and book central rooms early.
Dunedin Airport is about 25 km south-west of the city, 30 to 40 minutes by shuttle or taxi. Most international visitors connect through Auckland or Christchurch. Arrive by Friday evening to collect a pack on Saturday.
See & Do
The city sights sit within about a kilometre of the finish, and the peninsula wildlife is a drive.
Dunedin Railway Station
The ornate stone station of 1906 on Anzac Avenue, one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand, and free to walk through.
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum
The city's history museum beside the station, free, indoors and level.
St Clair Esplanade
A flat seafront promenade above the surf beach, with cafés and a heated saltwater pool.
Otago Peninsula wildlife
The royal albatross colony at Taiaroa Head and yellow-eyed penguins at Penguin Place, near the course turnaround. Go by tour on the day after, when someone else drives.
After the Race
Mid-September is early spring in Otago: cold mornings, lambs in the paddocks and the albatrosses and penguins of the Otago Peninsula busy with the new breeding season. The ski fields of Central Otago are open into early October.
Royal albatrosses at Taiaroa Head and yellow-eyed penguins at Penguin Place, reached by the same road the race used, this time by car.
A Victorian whitestone town with a blue penguin colony at dusk, and the round boulders on the beach at Moeraki on the way.
A wild, empty coast of forest, waterfalls and lighthouses south of Dunedin, with sea lions on the beaches.
Through the gold-rush country of Central Otago to Lake Wakatipu and the end of the ski season.